Post by Rakehel on May 10, 2021 10:00:46 GMT -5
Vodoun
01-02-06, 08:10 AM
Vodoun/Voodoo
Vodoun, also known as Voodoo, may be one of the most misunderstood religions in existence. It is the traditional religion of Haiti and it is thought that fear of the religion began when French slave owners outlawed it. Hollywood hasn't done much to help the image of Vodoun, with movies containing zombies, evil sorcery and ritual murder. These movies have only helped to reinforce the traditional Western view of Voodoo as a religion of black magic, curses, pins in dolls, and worse. The religion has teetered back and forth on the edge of popularity, at one point in the 1930s a mass persecution of the religion's followers was unsuccessful, and in 1996 Vodoun was declared the official religion of Benin.
The Voodoo we know today originated with African slaves in Haiti. When adding traditional Dahomey regional practices and various other African traditions to Voodoo a unique faith was created. The word "voodoo" is a corruption of the word "voudun," a word that means "god" or "spirit" in the West African Fon language. Vodoun is traditionally representative of two traditions- obeah, or folk magic (also known as "hoodoo"), and the ancient African worship of the Loa. The primary worship practice in Vodoun is possession. Gods or one's ancestors are enticed to inhabit the bodies of worshipers.
In the cosmology of Vodoun there are three levels of divinity:
Gran met, or grand master, also known as Bondye, from the French "bon dieu," the true deity, a being who presides over the spirit world but is not directly worshiped.
The Loas, or Lwas, the lesser divinities which are central to worship.
The Dead, ancestral spirits and the spirits of saints. These are always present with the practitioner, even prior to initiation.
There are three levels of initiation: kanzo, sur pointe, and asogwe. Western systems allow these to be taken one at a time, but it is very rare. Often, an initiate will remain at the level they obtain in the beginning. It should be noted, however, that initiation is not required to become a practicing Vodouisant. The kanzo, or lowest level, is a worshiper. The Sur Pointe is a priest (Houngan or Mambo) who has been further initiated into the tradition of a particular Loa. The Asogwe, or supreme human authority, can initiate petitioners into all grades.
The worship of the Loas takes place at ceremonial dances such as the Rada. There is a tradition that dictates whether the Loas are invoked through drumming or chanting. Participants in the ceremony become possessed by the Loa, also known as "mounting." The mounting is observed when there is a changed behavior in the participant, or "horse" (mountee), who may laugh, sing, tell rude jokes, dance, etc. Each Loa has a specific set of behaviors which identify them.
There are many Loas. Some of the more common are:
Damballah- the serpent, a primordial deity, who with his companion Ayida, created the cosmos.
Ayida- the consort of Damballah. The rainbow.
Baron Samedi- the Loa of the Dead.
Ogoun- a warrior, a martial masculinity. Related to the Yoruban Orisha of the same name, also to Shango.
Erzuli- Ogoun's spouse. She represents femininity and love. She is similar to the goddess Venus.
Agwe- the ancient sea.
Legba, or Papa Legba- like the Yoruban Eleggua, Legba is the guardian of crossroads. As in Santeria, he must be honored before any other Loa.
Loas all have his or her Veve, or sigil, which is marked on the ground during a ceremony. The sigils of Veves are complex, containing symbols to call or entice each particular Loa.
wikipedia.org/vodoun
01-02-06, 08:10 AM
Vodoun/Voodoo
Vodoun, also known as Voodoo, may be one of the most misunderstood religions in existence. It is the traditional religion of Haiti and it is thought that fear of the religion began when French slave owners outlawed it. Hollywood hasn't done much to help the image of Vodoun, with movies containing zombies, evil sorcery and ritual murder. These movies have only helped to reinforce the traditional Western view of Voodoo as a religion of black magic, curses, pins in dolls, and worse. The religion has teetered back and forth on the edge of popularity, at one point in the 1930s a mass persecution of the religion's followers was unsuccessful, and in 1996 Vodoun was declared the official religion of Benin.
The Voodoo we know today originated with African slaves in Haiti. When adding traditional Dahomey regional practices and various other African traditions to Voodoo a unique faith was created. The word "voodoo" is a corruption of the word "voudun," a word that means "god" or "spirit" in the West African Fon language. Vodoun is traditionally representative of two traditions- obeah, or folk magic (also known as "hoodoo"), and the ancient African worship of the Loa. The primary worship practice in Vodoun is possession. Gods or one's ancestors are enticed to inhabit the bodies of worshipers.
In the cosmology of Vodoun there are three levels of divinity:
Gran met, or grand master, also known as Bondye, from the French "bon dieu," the true deity, a being who presides over the spirit world but is not directly worshiped.
The Loas, or Lwas, the lesser divinities which are central to worship.
The Dead, ancestral spirits and the spirits of saints. These are always present with the practitioner, even prior to initiation.
There are three levels of initiation: kanzo, sur pointe, and asogwe. Western systems allow these to be taken one at a time, but it is very rare. Often, an initiate will remain at the level they obtain in the beginning. It should be noted, however, that initiation is not required to become a practicing Vodouisant. The kanzo, or lowest level, is a worshiper. The Sur Pointe is a priest (Houngan or Mambo) who has been further initiated into the tradition of a particular Loa. The Asogwe, or supreme human authority, can initiate petitioners into all grades.
The worship of the Loas takes place at ceremonial dances such as the Rada. There is a tradition that dictates whether the Loas are invoked through drumming or chanting. Participants in the ceremony become possessed by the Loa, also known as "mounting." The mounting is observed when there is a changed behavior in the participant, or "horse" (mountee), who may laugh, sing, tell rude jokes, dance, etc. Each Loa has a specific set of behaviors which identify them.
There are many Loas. Some of the more common are:
Damballah- the serpent, a primordial deity, who with his companion Ayida, created the cosmos.
Ayida- the consort of Damballah. The rainbow.
Baron Samedi- the Loa of the Dead.
Ogoun- a warrior, a martial masculinity. Related to the Yoruban Orisha of the same name, also to Shango.
Erzuli- Ogoun's spouse. She represents femininity and love. She is similar to the goddess Venus.
Agwe- the ancient sea.
Legba, or Papa Legba- like the Yoruban Eleggua, Legba is the guardian of crossroads. As in Santeria, he must be honored before any other Loa.
Loas all have his or her Veve, or sigil, which is marked on the ground during a ceremony. The sigils of Veves are complex, containing symbols to call or entice each particular Loa.
wikipedia.org/vodoun